Apparatus for preserving explosives.



J. ORTIZ.

APPARATUS FOB. PRESERVING EXPLOSIVES.

APPLIOATION FILED 812F130, 1907.

906,459, Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

2 SHEETSr-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INYENTOH ATTORNEY.

J. ORTIZ. APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING EXPLOSIVES. APPLICATION FILED SBPT.30, 1907.

906,459. Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES "lye-"Tan M I'M A TTOHNEY.

. zen of France, residing at Valmy, Green-' UNITED sTA ns PATENT OFFICE.

JULIEN ORTIZ, OF GREENVILLE, DELAWARE. ASSIGNOR TO THE- E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR PB ESERVH 'G EXPLOBIVEB,

Bpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. a, 1908.

Original application filed July 81, 1907, Serial No. 886,848. Divided and this application filed September 80, 1907. serial No. 895,188.

To all whom 'it may concern: Be it known that I, J ULIEN On'riz, a minville post-office, county of Newcastle, and State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Preserving Explosives of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference bein had to the accompanying drawi s, whi form a part of this specification.

t is well known that explosives, particularly smokeless powder explosives, contain a base of a large percentage of nitroc dfiulose, are more or less unstable. Efforts have been made, with only comparative success, to render such explosives relativel stable. Substances, commonly called stabi izers, have been added to the explosive to absorb the acid fumes as they are formed. The air in the powder ma azine has been renewed by means of venti ators. WVater has been caused to circulate along the walls of the magazine. Refrigerating apparatus has been applied under the floor of the magazines, and air has been forced into the magamation of acid fumes in a pronounced degree.

The object of my invention is to obviate, or at least substantially retard or minimize, the formation of acid fumes and to absorb any acid fumes that may be generated. This I accomplish by exhausting the air in contact with the explosives and displacing it with air that has been thoroughly dried, and then ra-refying that air in turn so as to produce as near as practically possible an absolute vacuum and maintaining that vacuum. The rarefaction of the air, by removing both the air and contained moisture, lowers both the temperature and humidity and besides withdraws any acid fumes that may have been generated. The successive introduction of dry air and rarefaction of the air may be re eated from time to time, the addit1on of ry aircausing the fumes evolved by the owder and held stagnant in the cells to be diluted, by which their subsequent removal 'by the application of the vacuum is facilitated. Besides the introduced dry air which has lost its moisture in contact with i1 0 being in need of moisture, when it contacts with the powder and permeates its cells, takes from it the moisture reviously lost and revents in the powder t e formation of I Iil lO which requires the presence of H 0 to be formed.

The drawings show a practical embodiment of my invention as applied to a powder magazine, either on land or water. While the invention will doubtless be of most useful application to magazines on war-vessels, as accidents in the navy have been relatively far more numerous and disastrous than accidents on land, it is adapted for application to all situations as well as to all methods of packing and storin owder, whether in bulk, in bags, or in s el s or cartridges.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is front elevation, partly in section, of a powder magazine and appurtenant mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlar' ed plan view of part of a horizontal row of powder bags in one of the upri ht compartments. F 3 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 4 1s a detail view of a modified arran ement for exhausting air in contact with t e powder stored in the magazine.

The magazine a is divided by vertical partitions 6 into a series of upright independent compartments. To the walls of the partitions 1) are secured shelves 0, allowing the bags 0: to be stored in tiers and the several tiers to be independently supported.

d are the hinged doors one to each upright Compartment.

e are chains, one to each tier of bags, composed of links hinged together, each link being of the length of a bag and of somewhat less width t an the diameter of a bag, so that the bag can rest therein. When the door of a compartment is opened, the outcr bag and bringingthe secondbag of the series,

into position to be removed. Through the top of the magazine and communicating with the respective compartments, is a series of pipes f communicating with a pipe 9 connecting with a vacuum pump 11,. v is a vacuum gage on pipe g. In each pipe f is a valve 2' for opening and closing communication between each magazine and the pump. In the wall of each pipe 7' is an orifice controlled by a valve j by means of which outside air may be admitted to any particular compartment, as, for instance, when it is desired to gain access thereto for the purpose of removing the bags.

Beneath the magazine proper is a drying chamber 70, which has independent communication with the several compartments by means of pipes m controlled by valves n. In the drying compartment are shelves Z, upon which may be spread phosphorus anhydrid or other moisture absorbing substance.

0 is a pipe communicating with the lower part of the drying chamber and provided with the valve 7). The shelves Z are made removable so that the phosphorus anhydrid may be readily replenished when exhausted. They are also preferably staggered so as to compel the air entering through the pipe 0, to pass back and forth in a circuitous path before entering the owder compartments. The drying chamber is provided with a door is hinged at its bottom.

After the powder is stored in the magazine, the apparatus is operated as follows: The valves 2' in pipes f, the valves n in pipes m, and the valve 39 in pipe 0, are opened, and the valves j in pipes f closed. The vacuum pump is then operated causing the air in the magazine to be withdrawn and outside air to enter the drying chamber and pass therefrom through the powder compartments in multiple. The relatively humid air in the magazine is thus dis laced by air that has been thoroughly drie by its passagethrough the drying chamber, and any acid fumes that have been formed are likewise withdrawn. The'valves n in pipes m are now closed, and the continued action of the pump rarefies the air in the several powder compartments and also withdraws any moisture or evaporable substance that may be in the compartments or in suspension in the powder. When the desired degree of rarefaption hasbeen obtained, the valves 2' in pipe f are closed. The' conditions are now such that the powder will be preserved almost indefinitely, the important conditions of reduced temperature and much reduced humidity substantially preventing the disintegration of the explosive. It is obvious, however, that safety dictates a renewed'application from time to time of the vacuum pump as well as occasional tests at such time. of the gases extracted in such operation. It may also be advisable, after a time, to again introduce dry air into the powder compartments for the purpose of diluting any fumes that may have been evolved by the explosive and held stagnant in its cells. which fumes will thus be more completely removed than if the vacuum pump were applied without previous introduction of dry air.

The particular construction and arrangement shown for carrying out my improved process are illustrative only, as it is obvious that the same may be modified in many particulars without departing from my invcntion, and also that different situations will require more or loss variation in mode of application of the in\ 'ention. For example. in Fig. 4, there is shown an arrangement for exhausting the air in contact with the explosive in which a separate perforated tube 1 is inserted into each powder bag :11, the tube 7' being connected, directly, or by means of a flexible or other hose 8, with the tube It, communicating with the airexhaust.

The invention may of course be applied to powder kept in metallic cartridge cases apart from the shells and to powder kept in cartridge cases in which the projectile is fixed.

I have not herein claimed the process which the apparatus hereinbefore described is adapted to carry out, as the said process forms the subject matter of a patent issued to me September 8, 1908, .No. 897,923, of which this application is a division.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a powder magazine,.the combination with a series of independent compartments adapted for the storage of powder, of an air drying apparatus communicating with the several storage compartments, a vacuum pump communicating with the several storage compartments, means admitting air to the drying apparatus, valves controlling communication betwen the vacuum pump and the several storage compartments respectively, and valves controlling communication between the drying apparatus and the several compartments respectively.

2. In a powder magazine, the combination with a series of independent compartments adapted for the storage of powder, of an air drying apparatus communicating with the several storage compartments, a vacuum pump communicating with the several storage compartments, means admitting air to the drying apparatus, valves controlling communication between the vacuum. pump and the several storage compartments respectively, valves controlling communication between the drying apparatus and the several compartments respectively, and means to admit air from an outside source to the several compartments independently.

3. In a powder magazine, the combination with a series of independent compartments adapted for the storage of powder, of an air drying apparatus, a vacuum pump, pipes connecting the vacuum pump with the several storage compartments respectively, pipes connecting the drying apparatus with the several storage compartments respectively, means admitting air to the drying apparatus, valves in the several pipes respectively, the walls of the air exhaust pipes between the several compartments and the corresponding air exhaust valves.

and valve controlled openings in 4. In a. powder magazine, the combination with a series of independent upright compartments adapted for the storage of powder, shelves therein, chains on the shelves in which the bags are adapted to rest, and means to exhaust air from the several compartments.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Wilmington, Del.,

on this 25th day of September, 1907.

JULIEN ORTIZ. Witnesses:

IRVING EYER, EUGENE E. DU Porn. 

